So Mote It Be
by Rose Madder
Summary: Can a marriage that started out as a lie last? ColePhoebe. Sequel to The Demon's Advocate. COMPLETE
1. Prologue

Note #1: This story is part of a series, and will be better understood by those who've read the previous installments. The sequence of the stories is: (1) Redemption; (2) The Demon's Advocate; (3) So Mote It Be. For those who haven't read the previous stories, here's the scenery: Cole and Phoebe have left the Underworld for good, and their son is a ten months old human baby. Piper is five months pregnant, but it's Leo who's having all the side effects, like morning sickness, cravings and mood swings. If you want to know more, then I'm sorry but you'll really have to read the previous stories.

Note #2: I had so many reasons to write this story, but the main reason was that I had been waiting for this moment since "Black as Cole" (what am I saying? since season 3!), and when the writers gave us that poor excuse for a wedding, I felt betrayed. Phoebe and Cole deserve better. And so do we, the loyal fans. Well, now we're gonna have it, whether the writers like it or not.

Note #3: I'll post the first chapter of "Roll the Dice, Run for Your Life" in a couple of days and, sure, Mimi, I'll be glad to translate "Charmed Again -- The Missing Scenes". Gee, lots of projects! :-)

Credits: "You're Still the One" is a song by Shania Twain. As for the characters, I don't own anyone but Ben and Vanessa.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Tuesday afternoon:

Phoebe and Cole are cuddled together on the couch, enjoying a moment of peace during Ben's mid-afternoon nap, when Leo orbs in.

"Hey, Leo," says Phoebe, smiling at her brother in law. Her smile vanishes, though, as she sees his worried expression. "Is there something the matter?"

"Hum, sort of," says Leo, looking a little uneasy. "May I talk to the two of you for a minute?"

"Sure," says Phoebe, straightening up and exchanging a concerned look with Cole.

"It's really not a big deal," says Leo, sitting before them, "but some of the Elders... Not all of them, but still..." -- he sighs -- "They aren't very comfortable with the, uh, circumstances involving your wedding."

"You mean, the fact that we got married in a dark ceremony?" says Cole, gravely.

"Well, yes," says Leo. "They're worried that there may be consequences in the future, not just for the two of you, but also for Ben."

"There's nothing wrong with Ben," Phoebe quickly says, defensively.

"I know, Phoebe," says Leo reassuringly, "and so do they. That's exactly why they're concerned about his welfare. Listen, there's actually no need to worry: all they want is that you get married again, in a Wiccan ceremony, performed by a High Priest."

"Is that all they ask?" says Cole.

"Yes," says Leo. "We could ask Penny, and I'm sure she'd be glad to perform the ceremony, just like she did for me and Piper."

"So," says Phoebe, cautiously, "we write our vows, get Grams here, have a Wiccan wedding, and everything is fine?"

"Absolutely," says Leo, smiling.

"Okay," she says, with a hesitant smile. "So," she says, turning to Cole, "you're okay with it, too?"

"I'll gladly marry you a thousand times," says Cole, smiling and kissing the tip of her nose.

"Same here," she says, smiling back at him. Cole has his arm around her, and he's glad to feel the tension leave her shoulders. "I'll summon Grams..." -- Ben's happy squeals come through the baby monitor and she smiles and rolls her eyes -- "later."

"Don't worry," says Leo, as Phoebe stands up and walks towards the stairs, "I'll talk to Penny."

"Thanks, Leo," she says, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. "Ask her to come as soon as possible, will you? The last thing I want is to have the Elders on our back, just when things are finally working out around here."

"I will," he says, before orbing out.

Phoebe blows Cole a kiss and walks upstairs. As soon as she is out of sight, Leo orbs back.

"So," he says, sitting by Cole's side on the couch. "Do you think she bought it?"

"Hook, line and sinker," replies Cole, smiling. "You know, for one who's supposed to be all righteous and everything, you're a damn good liar."

"Like you aren't!" says Leo, smiling, too. "_Is that all they ask?_" he says, mocking Cole.

The two men chuckle slightly, then Leo adds:

"Now, Piper knows her part. Does Paige know hers?"

"I've explained it to her twice," says Cole. "But I'm counting on Piper to make sure she won't spill the beans."

"I'm sure Piper can handle Paige," says Leo, patting his shoulder. "Relax."

"You know what they say," says Cole, "a secret between three people is only a secret if two of them are dead. And, in this family, sometimes not even then..."

"It'll only be a secret until Friday night," says Leo. "I'm sure even Paige can keep a secret for three days."

"I guess," sighs Cole.

"So," says Leo, "how are the tasks distributed?"

"You're in charge of the dead guests, I'm in charge of the quick, Piper is in charge of the food and Paige is in charge of the decoration. Am I forgetting anything?"

"What did Piper say?"

"That I've got everything covered."

"Trust me, if Piper says you have, then you have. Now," says Leo, standing up, "I'd better go invite some ghosts for your wedding. You call Darryl and Victor, write your vows and relax, Cole. You and Phoebe have gone through this twice already, in the church and in the cemetery's chappel. Third time is the charm."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

When Phoebe walks past Paige's bedroom, she hears her sisters chatting inside.

"Hey," she says, popping her head in. "What's up?"

"Not much," says Piper, smiling. "I was just showing Paige my wedding album."

"Those pictures are very good," says Paige. "Prue was quite a talented photographer."

"Yes, she was," says Phoebe, smiling as she joins them.

As she sits on Paige's bed, Ben tries to leave her arms and go to the bed, but she restrains him:

"No, sir," she says, waving her finger at him, "until you learn not to put everything in your mouth, you won't get anywhere near those pictures."

Ben frowns and squirms in his mother's arms, but he knows better than to make a scene. He tries a new trick instead, one he's been using for the past couple of days with great success. He gives mommy his best smile and says:

"Hi!"

"Oh my God, has he just said 'hi'?" says Piper, delighted.

"Yes," says Phoebe, grinning. "He has recently learned this word. And," she adds proudly, "he said it to me first..."

Ben laughs victoriously when Phoebe releases her grip on him and lets him crawl to the bed, while Piper and Paige watch him, all "ahs" and "ohs". Feeling benevolent, he gives each one a "hi" and a smile before going straight to Piper's veil, that's neatly folded next to the wedding album.

Phoebe reaches out to stop him, but Piper dismisses her with a smile, while closing the album and putting it out of the baby's reach."

"Nah, that's okay," she says, smiling as Ben sits on the bed and pulls the veil over his head, giggling.

"I'm afraid we're raising a little tyrant here," says Phoebe, but she can't help but laugh when Ben turns to the mirror on the door of Piper's closet and starts playing peek-a-boo with his own image. He says "hi" instead of "peek-a-boo", because this is the only word he knows, but he seems to find it as amusing as the traditional version of the game grown ups play with him.

"Let the little king enjoy his reign before he has to share the spotlight with Melinda," says Paige.

"I just hope he doesn't get jealous of her," says Phoebe. "Judging by the way Leo has been acting, when Melinda is born..."

"He'll probably behave just like Cole," says Piper, giggling, and Phoebe can't help but smile, too. On Ben's first weeks of life, Cole often had to be dragged away from the side of his crib in order to perform basic tasks such as eating and sleeping. Sometimes she would wake up in the middle of the night and find him sitting by the crib, just watching with eyes full of love and wonder as Ben slept peacefuly.

"Probably," she says, smiling softly. Then her thoughts turn to the conversation they've just had with Leo. "Do any of you have plans for this evening?" she asks.

"I don't," says Paige.

"Neither do I," says Piper. "Why?"

"Just in case you want to talk to Grams," says Phoebe, shrugging. "Paige, I think you haven't met her yet, have you?"

"Actually, no," says Paige. "But why is she coming? I mean, ghosts don't come over to pay a visit, do they?"

"No," says Phoebe, smiling. Her smile fades as she adds: "But Cole and I need a High Priestess." Her sisters give her inquisitive looks and she adds: "The Elders now want us to get married in a Wiccan ceremony. After almost two years, can you believe that?"

"Oh honey," sighs Piper, "you know the Elders..."

"It doesn't sound so bad," says Paige. "Why are you so upset?"

"I'm not upset," says Phoebe. "Oh well, maybe a little..." she admits, with a sigh. "It's just that, after all that Cole and I have been through..." -- she hesitates, biting her lower lip -- "I know that we almost screwed it up big time, but we came around, didn't we? Would it have killed them to show some appreciation? Specially for Cole: can't they see how hard it all has been for him? How much he endured since he switched sides?"

"Oh, sweetie..." says Piper, pulling her close and hugging her. "You know how the Elders are: it's not personal, it's just... them."

"You know," says Paige, reaching out to stroke Phoebe's hair, "since it's inevitable, we might as well enjoy it." Phoebe gives her an interrogative look and she explains: "You and Cole don't have any pictures of your wedding. Why don't we all get dressed up for the occasion, have this wedding, take some pictures and then have a nice family dinner to celebrate?"

"I like this idea," says Piper, getting the hint.

"I guess it'd be nice..." says Phoebe, smiling tentatively.

"Of course it will," says Paige. "But then it can't be tonight: I refuse to let anyone take a picture of me until I have my hair cut."

"Then, when?" Phoebe asks. "I want to put this behind us as soon as possible."

"How about Friday?" Piper offers.

"Friday is good for me," says Paige.

"Okay, then Friday it is," says Phoebe. "But then I'd better go tell Leo not to bring Grams here today."

She reaches out for Ben, but Piper stops her, saying:

"Let him play a little longer, I'll take him with me when I go downstairs."

"Okay," says Phoebe. "Bye bye, sweetie!" she says, waving at Ben.

"Hi!" he says, waving back at her and making the three girls laugh.

Once Phoebe leaves the room, Piper and Paige smile at each other and high five, while Ben watches them with an intrigued expression.


	2. The Living

Note: I know this chapter is quite short, but a short chapter is better than no chapter at all, isn't it? The next scenes are being more difficult to write than I had expected them to be, and I just didn't want to leave you hanging too long.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Friday evening:

"Honey, would you get the door?" says Piper, when the doorbell rings. "It's probably dad."

"Sure," says Leo, placing the wedding cake on the table, next to the champagne cups. He has just orbed from the basement carrying the cake, which was hidden there since Phoebe came home from work. As soon as she went upstairs to take a shower and get ready for the wedding, Piper, Leo, Paige and Cole started to work frantically on the first floor, while Ben watched them from his play pen with great interest.

While Leo goes see who's at the door, Paige takes one step back, gives the candle arrangement in the living room a critical look and says:

"Cole, I can take it from here: you'd better go upstairs and change, it's almost seven o'clock."

"Okay," says Cole. "Come on, Ben," he says, scooping the baby up, "let's get handsome for mommy."

"Here," says Piper, coming from the dining room and taking the baby from his arms, "I'll take care of him. All his stuff, including the crib, has already been moved to my bedroom, anyway."

Seeing Cole's surprised look she says, smiling:

"It's your wedding, for crying out loud. The least I can do is baby-sit for the night."

"Besides," says Paige, already pushing Cole upstairs, "I've rented a very special outfit for him, and it's supposed to be a surprise."

Piper walks upstairs with Ben is her arms, followed by Cole, while Paige turns her attention back to the ivory and blue pieces of tulle she's gathering together with ribbons tied to the ends and at regular intervals along the length.

Once they reach the second floor, Piper goes straight to her bedroom, while Cole goes to the attic to change. To Phoebe, they said that the groom isn't supposed to see the bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony, but the fact is, Piper and Paige need to be in the bedroom with Phoebe to make sure she won't go downstairs before everything is set.

"Piper?"

Piper turns around to see Cole still standing at the bottom of the stairs that lead to the attic.

"What?"

"Are you sure we're not forgetting anything?" he asks, casting an uncertain glance towards the door to his and Phoebe's bedroom. "Won't Phoebe be upset because we planned the whole thing without her?"

"Cole," Piper sighs, walking towards him, "for the nth time, relax: everything is just perfect."

She puts her hand on his arm and adds, smiling:

"Phoebe will be delighted when she finds out you planned the whole thing as a surprise for her, I promise."

Cole bites his lower lip, still unsure.

"She wanted it to be perfect," he sighs, "and I screwed it up. I turned what should have been a celebration of our love into nothing but lies and deceit."

"Cole," Piper says, gently, "you **_have_** to let it go: we all have forgiven you, but you need to forgive yourself, too, if you are to move on. I've said it to you before, and I'll say it again: every member of this family has, at some point of their lives, been possessed by evil. Well, except for Leo, but he's a Whitelighter, I don't know if such a thing is possible..." -- she waves her hand, dismissing the idea -- "Whatever. Anyway, the rest of us, we've been Furies, Banshees, warlocks, Wendigos, vampires, the Woogy... And none of us was strong enough to fight it: the rest of the family had to drag us back to the side of good, screaming and kicking, even as we tried to kill them. You were possessed by nothing less than the Source of all evil, for crying out loud, yet you managed to resist him longer than any of us had. Even if you hadn't beaten him in the end, you'd still have come through it with flying colors, compared to the rest of us."

She goes on tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek, then adds with mock sternness:

"Now you go change, and don't come back here without that suit on."

Cole chuckles lightly and says, with a smile:

"Sir, yes, sir!"

He leans over and kisses her lightly on the cheek, too, saying:

"Thank you, Piper."

Cole playfully pinches Ben's nose, making the baby giggle and try to grab his hand, then walks upstairs to change.

"You know," Piper says to Ben with a smile, as she carries him to her bedroom, "sometimes I wonder what this family would do without my words of wisdom."

Ben babbles happily in response, and Piper gives him a sound kiss, saying:

"Now, let's see what aunt Paige has rented for you."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, on the first floor, Leo is talking to Victor while Paige goes open the door to Darryl and a beautiful woman in a simple yet elegant blue dress.

"You must be Vanessa," she says, smiling at the newcomer and holding out her hand. "I'm Paige."

"Hi," says Darryl's wife, shaking her hand. "I'm so glad we've finally met. I hope you and your sisters don't mind that Darryl has told me about you."

"Not at all," says Paige as they walk through the foyer. "It wasn't really fair to ask him to keep a secret like this from his own wife."

Then, as they get to the living room, she says:

"Victor, Leo, you know Darryl. This is his wife, Vanessa. Leo, would you get them something to drink while I go upstairs to change?"

"Sure," says Leo, shaking the hands of Darryl and his wife, while Paige excuses herself and rushes upstairs.


	3. The Dead

Note #1: When I first imagined the scenes below, I pictured the ghosts as these transparent, bodiless beings. I still think it'd make a lot more sense this way, but since this rule was broken in spades on season 4, first with Patty, then with Paige's adoptive parents, then with those guys who were seeking vengeance against Leo, I decided that I, too, would throw common sense out the window in the name of dramatic sense.

Note #2: These are the last guests: next chapter will be all about the wedding, I promise.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Paige is finishing her makeup, humming a tune and mentally reviewing the preparations for the wedding:

"Aromatic candles: checked. Flowers: checked. Table covers: checked. Tulle bows: checked."

"You must be Paige." -- the voice coming from behind her startles Paige, and she spins around to face the woman who's standing at her bedroom's door.

Even though they have never met in person, Paige has no trouble identifying the newcomer: there are lots of pictures of her in the manor. Besides, as their eyes meet she feels a thrill of recognition: the beautiful woman standing before her is the last piece of the puzzle that started to come together about three years ago, when a cry for a lost witch changed her life forever.

"Hi, Prue," she says, softly.

Prue hesitates briefly, then says, smiling:

"Hi, Paige."

With no need for words, the oldest and the youngest Halliwell walk slowly toward each other, until they meet in the middle of the room. They look at each other for a moment, in silence, then Prue reaches out and touches Paige's face, saying:

"I've been told you're one hell of a witch. Charmed from head to toe."

"From what I've heard, so were you," says Paige, smiling. Then she bites her lower lip and says, her voice trembling slightly:

"I wanted to meet you so badly: I feel like I've lost you before I had the chance to find you."

"I'm not lost," says Prue, softly. "Not to you, nor to anyone. I'm still here: I'll always be."

She reaches out for Paige and hugs her baby sister.

"We're sisters: we share a bond stronger than anything evil can scheme," whispers Prue, fondling Paige's hair. "So, we didn't get to live together in this house. So, what? This" -- she makes a wide gesture, encompassing the room -- "isn't forever, this isn't even the smallest glimpse of forever. This," -- she hugs Paige tighter and kisses her forehead -- "is."

The two sisters remain silently in each other's arms for a while, until Piper bursts into the room, saying:

"Paige, guess what, mom and grams are..." -- she stops short and lets out a small cry as Prue turns around to face her.

"You came," says Piper, in a tiny voice, tears already rolling from her eyes. "Leo didn't told me you'd be here, I..." -- she chokes, unable to finish the sentence.

As Paige runs to Phoebe's bedroom, willing to see her mother and grandmother, Piper falls into Prue's arms. Both girls are crying as they hug each other as tight as possible, wanting to express in these few moments everything they had to hold back for the last three years.

"I called for you," says Piper in between sobs, "I cried and cried for you..."

"I know, sweetie," says Prue stroking her sister's hair and crying, too. "I know you did. I could hear you, and God I wanted to answer, I wanted so badly to come and comfort you."

She pulls away to look into Piper's eyes, saying:

"But at first I couldn't, and later I understood that I shouldn't. No matter how badly I wanted to see you and Phoebe and tell you that I was fine, you guys had a destiny to fulfill, and I had no right to stand in the way."

"You would never..." Piper starts.

"Yes, I would, Piper," says Prue, gently. "As long as I was around, we'd be clinging to the past, the three of us. There'd never be room for Paige in your lives. I'm still your sister, and I'll always be, but I'm not a Charmed One any more. She is."

"I miss you," Piper whispers.

"I know you do, sweetie," says Prue, softly. "And I miss you, too. But you know it's just a matter of time before we are reunited. Nothing would keep us apart forever. Nothing could. You know that, don't you?" she asks, wiping away the tears from Piper's face.

"Yes," says Piper, smiling through the tears. "I do."

They hug again, and Piper asks, with her head still resting on Prue's shoulder:

"So, how's the afterlife?"

"It grows on you," says Prue, smiling. "It helps that I have mom, and Grams... and Andy," she adds, somewhat sheepishly.

As she expected, this makes Piper raise her head from her shoulder and give her an inquisitive smile.

"Don't give me this look," says Prue, giggling. "We're both dead, remember?"

"Well, so is my husband!" says Piper, pointing at her five-months-pregnant belly.

"Piper!" Prue exclaims, in mock shock, glad to see that she managed to cheer up her sister. Then, touching Piper's belly affectionately, she says:

"So, I suppose this is that cute little girl we saw in your future?"

"Yes," says Piper, grinning. "Melinda, this is your aunt Prue. What, sweetie?" she says, bowing her head as if to better listen to the baby. "Yeah, I suppose you're right." Raising her head and facing Prue again, Piper says: "She's saying that if we don't hurry we're gonna cause the wedding to be late, and that'll freak her Uncle Cole out."

"So I guess we should go see Phoebe now, and let her cry her eyes out, so that we all have time to wash our faces and put some really heavy make up on to hide our puffy eyes," says Prue, smiling.

They hug again, then leave the room together, heading to Phoebe's bedroom.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In Phoebe's bedroom, Prue and Piper find Ben surrounded by the three generations of the Halliwell family. He's sitting on Patty's knees, being the center of attentions and loving every minute of it. Paige managed to rent a tuxedo in his size, and the only thing missing is the tie: after some unsuccessful attempts to make him wear it, she had no choice but admitting defeat, just like Phoebe had told her she would.

Phoebe is sitting on her bed, with a jewelry box on her lap, holding one earring next to each ear.

"So," she's saying, "what do you think? Pearls or..." -- she never gets to finish the sentence, as Piper and Prue enter the room.

Rings, bracelets and necklaces go flying across the room as she jumps to her feet and runs to Prue, throwing her arms around her neck and almost making her lose her balance.

Prue holds her tight, this baby sister of hers that has gone through so much on the past three years.

"Is this really you?" says Phoebe, with her face buried on Prue's shoulder.

"Uh, yes," says Prue, smiling through the tears running down her face again. "Let's time I checked, I was still me."

"Are you here for my wedding?" Phoebe asks, raising her head.

"Sure," says Prue, touching her face affectionately. "I would never miss it. And I promise you I'll behave this time: no guys in motorcycles coming crashing through the door."

Even as Phoebe laughs, she can't stop the tears from falling, and her laugh soon trails off.

"I'm sorry, Prue," she says, in a trembling voice. "All this time, I wanted so badly to tell you how much I was s..."

"Shush," says Prue, gently placing her fingers on Phoebe's lips. "There's nothing you should be sorry about. You've been carrying this burden all alone for a long time, but it's time you let it go, Phoebe." -- she cups Phoebe's face in her hands -- "The day I died, you were at the very place you were supposed to be. Not here, saving me, but down there, saving Cole."

She gives Phoebe a sheepish smile before adding:

"No matter what they say about death, it sure gives you a new perspective on things." Pulling her sister close again and holding her tight, Prue adds, in a more serious manner: "Saving a life is nothing compared to saving a soul, honey. You did the right thing: never doubt that."

Prue keeps stroking Phoebe's hair gently, feeling the tension on her sister's shoulders slowly diminish as her words sink in.

"I love you," Phoebe finally whispers.

"I love you too, sweetie," says Prue. Then, looking at Piper and Paige, she adds: "All of you. And I'm so, so proud of my sisters!..."

As Piper and Paige approach and envelop Prue and Phoebe in one big group hug, Patty and Penny exchange a smile, looking at the four Halliwell sisters, together at last.

When they finally break the hug, Prue says, running her hand across her face:

"Now, I believe we have a wedding to attend to. Why don't the three of you go wash your faces and get presentable? I would, too, but I'm afraid I still have a lot of crying to do downstairs: I haven't seen..." -- Piper raises her eyebrows warningly, but fortunately Phoebe doesn't notice it -- "uh, Leo and Cole yet."

She, Patty and Penny go join the others in the living room, taking Ben with them, while Piper, Paige and Phoebe get ready for the wedding.


	4. Bride and Groom

Note #1: Okay, no more teasing. This wedding is something I just **_had_** to write, but tomorrow I'll post the first chapter of "Fruit of My Womb", which will be the next installment of this series, and on which I'll start answering the questions I left hanging on "The Demon's Advocate". I really mean it; the first four chapters are good and ready, thanks to Barb's beta reading.

Note #2: Those of you who don't know Bach's "Air on the G String" -- the song I chose for the wedding -- can hear it at the following address:

http://www.bridle.demon.co.uk/Audio/gstring.mid

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Paige is gonna freak out if you ruin her candle arrangement." -- Leo's voice startles Cole, and he almost drops the candle he was toying with.

"Why are they taking so long?" he asks with a hint of anxiety in his voice, putting the candle back in place.

"Relax, Cole," says Leo. "Are you afraid that Phoebe will have second thoughts about the wedding and run away?"

When he sees the look on Cole's eyes, Leo almost regrets having joked about that.

"Your nerves are really on the edge, huh?" he says, patting Cole's back.

"I guess..." Cole sighs. "Everything has gone right so far. Perhaps too right. I keep expecting something to come up and ruin the night." He glances towards the stairs and adds, frustrated: "Twenty minutes ago Prue said they were almost ready: where are they?"

"Hey, it was your idea to invite Prue," says Leo, smiling. "And trust me, it took a lot of talk to convince the Elders to let her be here tonight."

Cole gives him a puzzled look, and Leo explains:

"The girls have obviously cried their eyes out up there," -- he motions his hand towards the second floor -- "you just have to take a look at Prue to know that. They won't come downstairs until they've managed to repair the damage."

Leo studies Cole's face for a while, then suddenly says:

"Come here," -- he pulls Cole by his arm, taking him to the kitchen -- "You need to stop worrying, otherwise you're gonna spoil the mood."

Once they get there, he picks up one of the several gift boxes resting on the kitchen table and hands it to Cole, saying:

"You were supposed to see those only after the ceremony, but you need something to keep your mind away from the waiting."

Cole looks from the box in his hands to the others that are still on the table, and then back to Leo, giving him an intrigued look.

"This one is from me and Piper," says Leo, pointing at the boxes as he says the names, "this is from Paige, this is from Darryl and Vanessa, and that one is from Victor."

Then, pointing at the package Cole is holding, Leo explains:

"I know I was in charge of the dead guests only, but I took the liberty to deliver another invitation, and although he couldn't come for the wedding -- it's harvesting time or something -- Sarsour asked me to give you this."

Cole smiles as he looks at the neatly wrapped package, wondering who wrapped it for his friend, then he takes the card that came with it and reads the message written in Sarsour's irregular handwriting:

_"You were right: family is a great thing.  
Be happy, the two of you: you deserve it.  
Sarsour"_

Cole carefully puts the card aside as he unwraps the package, revealing a small, finely worked silver piece. Seeing Leo's curious look, he explains:

"It's an amulet: it's supposed to bring prosperity to the house it belongs to."

Before Leo can reply, Piper bursts into the room, saying:

"Here comes the bride!"

Cole immediately places the box on the table, next to the others, and darts towards the living room, followed by Piper and Leo. Everyone else is already in place: Penny is standing in the middle of the room, with Prue and Paige by her right, and Victor, Patty, Darryl and Vanessa by her left. Piper and Leo join Paige and Prue -- who has Ben in her arms -- and Cole stands next to Penny, holding his breath as they hear Phoebe's voice coming from upstairs:

"Hey! Who turned off the l..."

Phoebe stops short, drawing a sharp intake of breath. Leo points the remote to the stereo, and while she stands at the top of the stairs, looking at the scene before her with big round eyes, the first notes of Bach's "Air on the G String" fill the room.

The whole room is immersed in a dream-like atmosphere. Most of the furniture has been either removed or pushed aside, and from the walls hang luxurious ivory and cobalt blue bows of tulle. The only light come from the aromatic candles of all shapes and colors that fill the living room with the delicate aroma of lilac.

Lowering her eyes, Phoebe realizes that the stairsteps before her are covered with pink and white rose petals, creating a path that leads her straight to where Cole stands, looking at her in silent expectation. When her eyes meet his, everything else in the room disappears like magic: her family and friends, the beautiful decoration Paige has provided, the music... everything is gone, leaving only her and the man she loves. She finally regains her wits, and the radiant smile she gives to Cole can only be matched by his own. His eyes lighten up as she starts to walk towards him, her eyes locked in his loving gaze.

Phoebe feels the tears pricking her eyes, her heart beating stronger at every step she takes. The path she's walking is very much alike the one she and Cole have walked to get here: light and darkness, truth and lies, joy and pain. And as she looks at him, waiting for her at the end of the path, Phoebe knows beyond doubt that it was worth it all.

_Looks like we made it  
Look how far we've come my baby_

It was a long, long way they walked. They took all the wrong turns, hit all the dead ends. Yet, they've come around: love saw them through it all.

_We mighta took the long way  
We knew we'd get there someday_

They broke up. They promised never to see each other again. They wanted to die. They wanted to kill. But more than anything else, they wanted to be together. Even when they hated each other. Even when common sense told them to throw in the towel, when it would've been so much easier and safer to just give it up. Fate was against them and they've proved fate wrong.

_They said, "I bet they'll never make it"  
But just look at us holding on  
We're still together still going strong_

Phoebe wants to run to him, to throw herself in his strong, loving arms. Yet she forces herself to keep a steady pace, savouring the moment for as long as possible, letting the music, the perfume, the sight of him overwhelm her senses, building memories that will last forever.

_(You're still the one)  
You're still the one I run to  
The one that I belong to  
You're still the one I want for life  
(You're still the one)  
You're still the one that I love  
The only one I dream of  
You're still the one I kiss good night_

Cole watches her as she slowly makes her way to him, feeling dizzy with happiness. They're everything that should never have happened, wrong from day one, and irredeemably fated to failure. Yet, they have made it.

_Ain't nothin' better  
We beat the odds together_

Evil didn't want to lose him. Good wanted to push him away. Evil tried to corrupt her. Good tried to kill him. Evil tried to kill them both. Neither side could have foreseen how strongly they'd cling to each other, how obstinate and desperate they'd be, sticking together through heaven and hell.

_I'm glad we didn't listen  
Look at what we would be missin'_

Phoebe stops before him, and Cole takes her hands in his and kisses them passionately, never taking his eyes of hers.

"I can't believe you did this," she whispers.

"I can't believe we made it," he says in the same tone.

"Yeah," she says, huskily, "we did make it."

_They said, "I bet they'll never make it"  
But just look at us holding on  
We're still together still going strong_

"Ah-hem!" Penny clears her throat, and Phoebe and Cole turn to her, slightly startled. "Shall we start?"

"Please," says Cole, unwillingly releasing Phoebe's hands, while she just nods, not trusting her voice right now.

Penny smiles at them and starts the ceremony:

"We are gathered here today to unite two souls as one. Do you, Cole Turner, and you, Phoebe Halliwell, join us here of your own free will to acknowledge the eternal bond shared by both of you?"

"I do," says Cole.

"I do," says Phoebe.

"Then face each other and join hands. Cole, you may recite your vows."

Cole takes Phoebe's hands in his again, holding them tight against his heart.

"Phoebe," he says, "when I met you, I was like someone born blind that all of a sudden started to see. Loving you made me see shapes and colors that I had never dreamed existed. Today I realize that you are everything I spent my entire life looking for, even when I didn't know I was looking for something."

Cole's voice falters and he cleans his throat, trying to steady his voice to proceed:

"You gave me a son who is the most important thing in my life, Phoebe. But you **_are_** my life."

Cole knows his composure won't be held for much longer, so he takes a deep breath and finishes his vows:

"I'm afraid I have nothing else to offer you besides what you already have: my heart, my soul, my mind, my entire being. It's all yours, baby. I love you."

_(You're still the one)  
You're still the one I run to  
The one that I belong to  
You're still the one I want for life_

They wait a few moments until Phoebe can stop crying and recite her vows. When she finds her voice again, she retracts her hands, bringing Cole's hands towards her chest and pressing them against her own heart as she says:

"Cole, before I met you, I was afraid of love: I had this idea that by not loving I'd be spared from the pain of loss. As you came into my life, I understood that not loving is the greatest loss of all.

She smiles softly as she proceeds:

"A couple of weeks ago, someone at work asked me if I thought we were a match made in heaven." -- both she and Cole chuckle slightly -- "I guess they were extremely surprised when I said that no, we weren't meant to be. I've met Cupid a few years ago, and I'm pretty sure he wasn't the one who brought us together. Cupid had nothing to do with it. Fate had nothing to do with it. We did it. That's why we're together: because we chose each other. I love you, Cole. I always will. I'll give you my life, my heart and my soul, and how could I not, when I own them to you?"

_(You're still the one)  
You're still the one that I love  
The only one I dream of  
You're still the one I kiss good night_

Penny smiles and says:

"Here before witnesses, Cole and Phoebe have sworn their vows towards each other. With this cord, I bind them to those vows."

The rope comes to life and ties itself around their hands, just like it happened on Piper and Leo's wedding, and Cole and Phoebe say together, looking deep into each other's eyes:

"Heart to thee,  
body to thee,  
always and forever,  
so mote it be."

"So mote it be," Penny says softly.

"So mote it be," repeat all the others, as Cole leans over and pulls Phoebe to a long, loving kiss.

_(You're still the one)  
You're still the one I run to  
The one that I belong to  
You're still the one I want for life  
(You're still the one)  
You're still the one that I love  
The only one I dream of  
You're still the one I kiss good night_

**The End  
(Next installment: "Fruit of My Womb")**


End file.
